Metal cross-tie for railroads.



No. 769,562. PATENTBD SEPT. 6, 19044 A. NBWELL. METAL GROSS TIB FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 28. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

A 7TOHNE YS Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT UEETCE.

ALLEN NEVELL, OF GUADALAJARA, MEXICO.

METAL CROSS-TIE FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,562, dated September 67 1904.

Application filed March 28, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN NEWELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Guadalajara, Mexico, have invented a new and Improved Metal Cross-Tie for Railroads, of which the following' is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a metal railroad cross-tie which adapt the tie for cushioning the impact of rollingstock that traverses the track-rails supported by the improvement, afford a very light strong metal tie, and provide novel means for securing track-rails in position on the improved cross-ties in direct contact with wooden filling-blocks held in boxes at the ends of the ties and serve as cushions for the slightly-elastic support of the track-rails.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of the improved cross-tie, showing one of its duplicate ends,improved railholding means mounted on the end portion of the tie, and a track rail in part represented by dotted lines and secured on the tie by said improved means. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of an end portion of the improved crosstie and a partly sectional side view of the rail-securing' device thereon, the line of section being' indicated at 2 2 in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the crosstie and an end view of a detail of the rail-securing device, the section being taken substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. l.

The improved cross-tie consists, essentially, of two quadrangular plate-metal boxes 5 of similar form and dimensions that are proportioned to adapt the tie for efficient service when in suitable number. The improvement is employed in railroad construction.

Each box 5 is open at the outer end and is preferably closed at the opposite end by a Serial No. 200,364. (No model.)

transverse wall 5, from which extend two body-plates 6, that may be formed integral withthe end walls 51L on the similar boxes 5 at each end of said body-plates that are spaced apart by the crosswebs 5" near the end walls mentioned. In the similar boxes at each end of the improved cross-tie a wooden block 7 is litted snugly, but removably, said blocks (one appearing in the single box shown) being formed of dry and preferably hard durable wood. A suitable number of perforations (o are formed at intervals in the bottom of each box 5 for the drainage of water therefrom which may enter the upper sides of said boxes.

As shown for one box 5 in the drawings, there is a transverse channel I) formed in the upper side wall of said box at the proper point for the reception of the base-liange A on a track-rail of the usual I-shape in crossseetion and having a ball or head A2 spaced from the base-flange A by a web A, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. 'lhe width of the channel in the upper side of the box 5 permits the base-flange A to pass down therethrough and scat upon the block 7, and thus afford support for the track-rail, which extends over a suitable number of such cross-ties at right angles thereto.

The preferred means for securing the rails of a railroad-track in position on the improved cross-tie consists of the following details for each rail and tie: Two similar abutments in the form of short upright posts c are erected on the upper side of the box 5, near the side walls thereof, and flush at their inner faces with opposite side edges of the channel these posts preventing the rail from wearing at the edges of the base-flange on the adjacent edges of the channel. As coperating means for holding the t1'ack:1' ail in place on a cross-tie two spikes d may be driven down through perforations cl in the top wall of the box 5 near the respective edges of the IOO displacement of the track-rail flange A when it is seated in the channel Z9 as described, the improved clamping means, consisting of the following details, is preferably employed: Near the channel I) and one side wall of the box 5 two'spaced ears e are formed on the upper wall of the box 5, and between said ears a short arm g is pivoted that is formed with a widened pad g on the end thereof, which extends over and rests upon the upper adjacent side of the base-flange A, the other end of said arm having contact with the upper surface of the block 7 through a slot in the top wall of the box, said end having a cam-swell on its lower edge that is pressed upon by said filling-block. Upon the top wall of the box at a suitable point near the opposite side wall of the box 5 a longitudinal slot h is formed in said top wall, and at each side of said slot two similar upright ears c' are respectively formed or secured at a point near to the edge of the base-flange A that is opposite from the edge overlapped by the pad g. Between the ears a' a clamping-block m is pivoted near its longitudinal center, said block having a limb m extended toward and lapping upon the adjacent top surface of the base-flange A. Above the limb m an arm m2 projects diagonally upward and outward, having its free outer end braced against the side and lower corner of the ball or head A of the track-rail, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. In an opposite direction from the limb m a cam-lug m3 projects from the block m over the longitudinal slot L, and on the lower side of said lug a cam-swell m4 is formed that is in the path of the upper side of the lling-block 7.

In arranging the device for use the clamping means just described are imposed upon the base-ange A of the seated track-rail before the spikes CZ are inserted and before'the filling-block 7 is driven into the outer end of the box 5.

The cam-swell m4 Will project down through the s lot It into the box 5, so that upon the forcible insertion of the block 7 it Will impinge upon the cam-swells on the lug and arm g, rock the lug m3 and arm g upward, so as to press the arm m2 and limb m forcibly against the head A' of the rail and the base-flange A thereon, while the cam-swell on the arm g will also cause the pad g to bear on the base-flange A at the opposite edge thereof.

It will be seen that if the spikes d are now driven down through the perforations in the top wall of the box 5 at either end of the crosstie, so that their heads have contact with the edge portions of the base-flange A, the trackrail will be held firmly seated upon the fillingblock 7, and the latter will be secured in the box 5 by the insertion of the spikes into it.

As the filling-block 7 is neatly fitted into a respective box 5 and the rail-base flange A is secured thereon, as has been described, the

block is supportedl on all sides of the same and prevented from being crushed by the imposition of a heavy load, the natural slight resilience of the fibrous material of the block serving to permit a corresponding degree of elasticity for the support of the track-rail, which lessens the shock of heavy percussion and renders the'movement of the rolling-stock comparatively noiseless.

It is obvious that similar securing means for the track-rail and blocks 7 at each box on opposite ends of the improved cross-tie are to be employed, so that by provision of a proper number of the improved cross-ties and their disposal on a graded road-bed that is properly ballasted the track-rails of the railroad may be secured in place upon the cross-ties and be eifectively cushioned to absorb percussion shocks due to the rapid transit of heavy cars over the railroad-track. y

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt4 l. A metal railroad cross-tie, comprising two rectangular plate-metal boxes of like form and dimensions, each closed by a transverse wall at the inner end of the box, two spaced and parallel body-plates secured by their ends on the respective end walls of the boxes, and spacing-webs between the body-plates.

2. The combination with a track-rail, of a cross-tie having arbox at each end, each box having a slot in its upper side, a wooden filling-block closely tted in each box, said boxes each having a transverse channel, and two clamping-arms held to rock on the top of each box one at each side of the channel therein, a cam-swell on one end of each arm occupying a respective slot and impinged by an inserted lling-block, and a pad on the opposite end of each arm that is pressed upon the baseflange of a track-rail that is in a respective channel and seated on the filling-block.

3. rlhe combination with a track-rail, of a cross-tie comprising two similar plate-metal boxes at the ends of two spaced plate-metal body -plates, each box having a transverse parallel edgedv channel formed in the upper side thereof, a wooden filling-block in a respective box and whereon the base-fiange of the track-rail seats when passed down through the channel, spikes passed down through perforations in the upper side of the box engaging their heads with the base-ange of the track-rail and penetrating the VJfilling-block, and coacting rail-securing means comprising an arm pivoted on ears at one side of the baseflange and pressing its ends respectively on the base-ange and upon the top wall of the lilling-block, and a clamping-block at the other side of the base-iiange having a pad extended toward and seating on said base-flange, a proppost extended to engage the side of the railhead and hook below the lower corner on said head, and a lug projected outward from the IOO IIO

clampingblock having a cam swell on its to this specification in the presence of two sublower side and passing through a slot oyfensoribing witnesses. ing in the top of the box which is raisec by the insertion of the `filling-block into the box, ALLEN NEVLLL' 5 whereby the securing means for the rail are Witnesses:

tightened. G. M. CLARK,

In testimony whereofl I have signed my name A. W'. GOBRECHT. 

